Transition from Crib to Bed

Congrats on the gifted bed, a friend helped us out too with my youngest sons big boy bed. For the transistion, don't stress. Let him know it's happening in advance, and how exciting it is. If you can afford it let him go with you to buy some "special big boy bedding". Even if he just chooses one sheet set or comforter that will help him want to be in the bed when the time comes.
Good luck.

Coming from a mommy who transitioned our 19 month old daughter from a crib to toddler bed (because she was climbing out), if I were to do it over, I would skip the toddler bed for several reasons...

1. We read and I sometimes rock my daughter but there are times when I think she'd fall asleep if I were to lay with her.
2. She sometimes comes into bed with us at night. I think if she had a bigger bed, we could get her to fall back asleep if she does wake up easier if one of us could lay with her.
3. She's a mover so I think she wakes herself up because she rolls into the side of the toddler bed.

That being said, the plus sides of having a toddler bed are:

1. It was cheap ($60 at Kmart)
2. Easy to put together and didn't require an extra mattress
3. Can fit into her small bedroom which she will share with her baby brother or sister in a few months

I would look into buying a mattress (twin or full) and putting it on the floor to get him acquainted. That way he'll get used to the larger sleeping area but you don't have to spend the money on a bed. Then look at WalMart and Kmart. You can find reasonable beds on there. Don't forget Craigslist!

If you still decide you want to go the toddler bed route, take him with you and let him pick one out. He may be more apt to transition easier to it if he had a say so in picking what it is!

I bought our toddler bed on Craigslist and have been very happy with it. However, if money is tight just put the crib mattress on the floor! Even though he has a toddler bed, my son prefers to sleep on the floor anyway!

One other tip: before you transition him to the toddler bed get a light for his room and put it on a timer. It should turn on when it is time to go to sleep and turn off at the time he is allowed out of bed. Once he is used to this, it is the way to get him to stay in bed. If your light is on, you are in bed! This has worked for numerous people I know! Good luck and God Bless!

buy a used toddler bed on craigslist.

we got a used one for $35.

we will use it for a year or two or three and then sell it fro probbly $35.

tht way you can use his mattress and bedding that he alreaday has.

I transitioned my son a few months ago to make room for baby #2 in the crib, he was I want to say 20 months old. He never tried to climb out. He *fell* out a few times LOL which just reinforced that he needed to stay in his bed and not jump around or stand up.

To avoid him thinking he could climb out we didn't let him stand up. I remind him that makes him fall out, and this is our new big boy bed where we lay down and sleep, it's not for standing. They really get proud of that "big boy" thing. So...as for training, whenever he would stand up we would go back in and lay him down until he stopped standing up. He can't climb out if he never stands up, right?

Make sure you look on Craigs List... tons of them!

Good luck to you! I see that you got a free twin mattress set and are planning the transition. My advice is NOT to stress about it too much. I was anxious for WEEKS about moving my daughter (who does not adjust well to change) to a "big girl bed" when she was 2. Turns out she liked her new bed so much that she would play in there BY HERSELf for 30 minutes at a time. It was great. We got her a tent/canopy from Ikea that goes over the top and it's like a secret cave for her. Hope the transition is as easy for you. Best wishes!

I would look for a sale on a twin or full mattress. Toddler beds are not useful for very long.

BY the way...my daughter has been putting one leg over for months (she is 22 mos) and I've egged her on to see if she could get out...and she can't.